Accusations of corruption flew at the Planning & Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee hearing on January 15, where the hotly contested Crossroads Hollywood project received the Committee's blessing. During public comment on the project, numerous speakers brought up the current federal investigation into corruption at City Hall. While the FBI probe is currently focussed on projects approved in the Downtown area, Hollywood residents implied that a pay-to-play culture had infected the entire planning process. PLUM Committee members took offense at the accusations, with Councilmember Gil Cedillo stating that the allegations were the result of "hysteria".

UN4LA has taken a look at campaign contributions received by members of the City Council. Is the public's outrage simply the result of scandalous media reports? Or should citizens, in fact, be deeply concerned about how business is done at City Hall. Cick on the link below to read more.

And on a related note, the LA Times recently published a story about former City Hall insider Raymond Chan, who apparently asked developers for funds to support an event celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Chan, a former aide to Mayor Garcetti, has also been connected to the FBI investigation into Downtown development deals. Were Chan's fundraising activities an anomaly? Or were they just an accepted part of doing business with City Hall?

LA isn't the only place where accusations of corruption are flying. In Inglewood multiple lawsuits have been filed over the proposed Clippers area, alleging numerous improprieties regarding actions taken by Mayor James Butts and the City Council. This story from the LA Times concerns alleged violations of State open meeting laws.

The LA City Council is currently considering a proposal to offer over-the-counter approvals of liquor permits to restaurant owners. While the Department of City Planning seems determined to play down the risks of such a proposal, there are many possible downsides. In the first place, LA neighborhoods like Downtown, Koreatown and Hollywood are already oversaturated with locations serving alcohol. Is it really a good idea to make the situation worse by allowing automatic approvals? And while most restaurants are probably run by responsible persons who would follow the law, there have been unscrupulous operators who have ignored the conditions of their permit and caused problems in our communities. One of the biggest concerns is that Neighborhood Councils would no longer have the opportunity to consider new permits. Do we really want to cut NCs out of the decision-making progress when it comes to businesses serving alcohol?

Every day we turn a tap in our kitchen or bathroom and water comes running out. Most of us don't even think about where the water comes from or how it arrives at our homes. In fact, this everyday miracle is made possible by massive infrastructure that must be constantly maintained and upgraded. The LADWP is working constantly to make sure that the thousands of miles of pipes beneath our streets are up to the task. Click on the link to learn about projects they're currently working on.